MANLY this morning made its first official statement about the sports science man at the centre of one of the biggest drug scandals to rock AFL.

Supplement guru Stephen Dank cut his teeth in rugby league, providing advice and supplements to five NRL clubs, most notably Manly. He also had links to South Sydney, Wests Tigers, Penrith and Cronulla, before switching codes to the AFL last year.

Dank yesterday became a household name after Essendon approached the AFL and ASADA with concerns over supplements administered during the off-season. Dank left Essendon late last year.

Manly reacted to the news by releasing a statement this morning claiming the club "never had any concerns" while Danks worked there.

"The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles employed Stephen Dank in an official capacity as a consultant between 2006 and 2010,'' said the statement issued just before 8am.

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Depending on who you talk to at Manly, Dank could be many things. A mystery man. Or a scapegoat.

But everyone who dealt with the sports science guru - across five NRL and two AFL clubs - can agree on one thing. When it came to maximising performance, he knew exactly what boundaries to push and wasn't afraid to do so.

Those boundaries attracted interest when his latest club, Essendon, called a snap press conference in Melbourne yesterday afternoon, with Essendon chairman David Evans and coach James Hird rocking Australian sport when they revealed the club had disturbing information about its supplement program.

Dank's role has attracted interest because he left the Bombers last year amid concerns about the outfit's sports science department.

At Windy Hill he reunited with conditioner Dean "The Weapon" Robinson, who had also worked under Hasler at Manly.

Essendon last night stood down Robinson, pending the outcome of investigations.

Robinson came under sustained fire last year thanks to an extraordinary incidence of soft-tissue injuries at Essendon, which saw the Bombers lose 10 of their remaining 13 games to plunge from finals calculations.

"The integrity at the club is critical, and that's why we've moved quickly to contact the AFL," Evans said.

"Of course this is a very distressing time for our club, we believe as a club we have done everything right to be compliant with the AFL and ASADA.

"We have moved quickly to call the AFL and ASADA to seek a clean bill of health. The info we gathered over the last 24 or 48 hours is slightly concerning, and we want to dig a bit deeper but we want the AFL to help us."

For the previous six seasons he worked under coach Des Hasler, helping the Sea Eagles' transformation from top-eight outcasts to established title contenders.

Arriving at Brookvale after stints with Souths and Wests Tigers, Dank broke new ground with lactate-reducing concoctions, calf blood injections and DNA testing which enabled Dank to measure the fast and slow-twitch muscle capabilities of each player and tailor their supplements accordingly.

But the most radical manoeuvre came in 2008, when reports emerged that Manly players were being injected with calf blood.

The bovine booster is permitted under the anti-doping code - so long as it's injected into body tissue or muscle. A well-placed Manly insider yesterday said that issues began to emerge when at least one player was asked to have the injections administered intravenously.

Essendon Football club talk to the press reguarding drug issues at Windy Hill during the 2012 season. L to R - Ian Robson (CEO), David Evans (Chairman) and James Hird (Snr coach). Picture: Scott ChrisSource: The Daily Telegraph

Dank's contract was not renewed at the end of 2010. Former CEO Graham Lowe last night attributed his departure to budget cuts.

In 2011, Dank did some consulting for Penrith and also took his expertise to the Cronulla Sharks.

Regularly dressed in a suit, he helped the Sharks source the best GPS technology and remodel their new gym at Sharks Stadium.

When the season started he became more involved in dealing with players individually, which concerned Sharks doctor David Givney.

According to a Sharks insider, some players began to display mysterious bruising after being given Warfarin to thin their blood and aid the flow of oxygen.

A fall-out between Givney and Dank led to the sports scientist leaving the club. He did some consultancy for the Gold Coast Suns before arriving at Essendon last year.

As ASADA called for witnesses to assist its investigation, former Bomber Kyle Reimers told Channel 9 that players were asked to sign waiver forms before taking supplements.

"From what they were saying, it was right on the borderline of what they were going to give us," the player said.

"Everyone signed it, it was a personal choice as to whether they took it.

"They admitted to us it was right on the edge of the levels you could be taking."

Attempts to contact Dank at his home and on the phone were unsuccessful.

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